Drunk Driving Statistics: How many drunk driving deaths in 2023?

Jan 01, 2021

The subject of drinking and driving always seems to be a hot subject. Whether it’s hearing about a recent accident on the news, seeing a billboard about lawyers that specialize in DUI Cases, or maybe knowing someone that passed away in a DUI incident. This article will cover drunk driving statistics including deaths per year and accidents caused by drunk driving.

Article Contents

Drunk Driving Deaths Per Year: How Many Drunk Driving Deaths in 2022?

Driving Under the Influence Statistics: How Many Accidents Are Caused by Drunk Driving?

At one point in one's life, we may know one person that has driven under the influence. Maybe they had too much to drink. Perhaps they had just one or two because they knew their limit. In all 50 US states, it is illegal to drive with a BAC (Blood Alcohol Level) of .08 or more.

Below, you’ll find the most interesting and shocking facts about drunk driving statistics, drunk driving deaths, statistics on drunk drivers.

Statistics (Editors Picks)

From 2009-2018, on average, more than 10,000 people died a year in drunk driving crashes.
Alcohol-impaired driving crashes accounted for 28% of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.
29 people die each day in drunk driver-related accidents-averaging out to 1 person every 50 minutes
A driver with a BAC over .10 is 7 times more likely to be involved in a fatal car accident.
Drunk driving deaths have declined by ⅓ in the last three decades; however, it still claims the lives of over 10,000 people every year.
21% of people between the ages of 35-44 know some who have been killed in a drunk-driving accident.
Most fatalities involved people between the ages of 21-34
According to a recent survey on attitudes towards drinking behaviors
35% of people think that Generation Y (Millennials) are more likely to drink and drive
31% of people believe that Gen Z would the most likely drink and drive
19% of people think that Gen X was more likely to drink and drive
14% of people claimed that Baby Boomers were the least likely to drink and drive
800 people per day are injured in a drunk driving crash
It’s illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher in every single state
Men are more likely to be driving under the influence in fatal crashes. 21% of men were drunk in crashes compared to 14% of women.
Alcohol-impaired-driving crashes had an estimated economic cost of 44 billion.
According to federal data, young people between the ages of 21 -24 accounted for one-third of drivers arrested for DUI.
According to the FBI, an estimated 1 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Drunk Driving Deaths Per Year

How Many Drink Driving Deaths in 2022?

Photo Credit: Greg Rosenke on Unsplash

From 2009-2018, on average, more than 10,000 people died a year in drunk driving crashes.

Every year, drunk driving accounts for more than 100,000 deaths per year. Broken down, that's 29 people per day dying of DUI related deaths. Or one person every 50 minutes. Year to year, the death toll due to DUI-related deaths hovers around the 100,000 death per year mark. It is common knowledge that the legal drinking limit in the US is .08. The reason for that is that drivers with a BAC of .08 caused 40% of fatal car accidents. If a driver has a BAC of .10, they are 7 times more likely to be in a fatal car accident than someone with a lower BAC. Most DUI fatalities involved people between the ages of 21-34. As high as those DUI deaths are, DUI deaths have been on the decline over the last three decades. As good news as that may sound, 100,000 deaths a year is still a large number to have.

Key Statistics:

From 2009-2018, on average, more than 10,000 people died a year in drunk driving crashes.
Alcohol-impaired driving crashes accounted for 28% of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.
40% of fatal car accidents were caused by drunk drivers with blood alcohol levels (BAC) of .08.
29 people die each day in drunk driver-related accidents-averaging out to 1 person every 50 minutes
A driver with a BAC over .10 is 7 times more likely to be involved in a fatal car accident.
Drunk driving deaths have declined by ⅓ in the last three decades; however, it still claims the lives of over 10,000 people each year.
21% of people between the ages of 35-44 know some who have been killed in a drunk-driving accident.
Most DUI fatalities involved people between the ages of 21-34
Among the 1,233 traffic deaths involving children 0-14, 214 involved an alcohol-impaired driver.

Sources:
https://www.thezebra.com/resources/research/drunk-driving-statistics/
https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving
https://www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/impaired_driving/impaired-drv_factsheet.html
https://deserthopetreatment.com/alcohol-abuse/drunk-driving/

Driving Under The Influence Statistics

How Many Accidents Are Caused by Drunk Driving?

Photo Credit: Rezasaad on Unsplash

800 people per day are injured in a drunk driving crash.

Every day, 800 people are injured in a drunk driving crash. Men are more likely to get behind the wheel while under the influence. 21% of men were involved in drunk driving incidents compared to 14% of women. According to FBI estimates, 1 million people were arrested for driving under the influence or drugs. The daily accidents that happen in cities cost a lot of money to clean up. The economic impact of drunk driving crashes is 44 billion a year.

Key Statistics:

800 people per day are injured in a drunk driving crash
It’s illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher in every single state
Men are more likely to be driving under the influence. 21% of men were drunk in crashes compared to 14% of women.
Alcohol-impaired-driving crashes had an estimated economic cost of 44 billion.
According to federal data, young people between the ages of 21 -24 accounted for one-third of drivers arrested for DUI.
An estimated 1 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to the FBI
According to a recent survey on attitudes towards drinking behaviors
35% of people think that Generation Y (Millennials) are more likely to drink and drive
31% of people believe that Gen Z would the most likely drink and drive
19% of people think that Gen X was more likely to drink and drive
14% of people claimed that Baby Boomers were the least likely to drink and drive

Sources:
https://deserthopetreatment.com/alcohol-abuse/drunk-driving/
https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving
https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812231
https://www.thezebra.com/resources/research/drunk-driving-statistics/

Conclusion

There are many things one can do to make sure they are not a statistic. During special events, many companies offer free ride services if you have had too much to drink. Cities even make public transportation free or at a heavily discounted rate. Also, rideshare companies such as Uber and Lyft offer special deals and discounts during special events to encourage people to stay off the road while having a few too many drinks. Over the last three decades, drinking and driving deaths have gone down by ⅓; however, the 100,000 lives it claims every year is still too many. Doing your part to ensure that you are not on the road after a few drinks can help save lives.